Press Releases

» The Forth Japan-PIF Summit Meeting - (Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting: PALM 2006)

Embargo: Thursday, 25 May 2006

The Forth Japan-PIF Summit Meeting (PALM 2006) will be held on May 26 and 27 in Okinawa, Japan. The Summit Meeting will be co-chaired by Mr. Junichiro Koizumi, Prime Minister of Japan, and Sir Michael Somare, Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea.

At the Meeting, Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers of 14 PIF member countries and two regions will get together to exchange frank opinions with the Prime Minister of Japan on such matters as the situation in the Pacific region and Japan-PIF relations. The participating countries, regions and regional organization are Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Fiji Islands, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of the Marshall Islands, Republic of Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, Independent State of Samoa, Solomon Islands, Kingdom of Tonga, Tuvalu, Republic of Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.

In 1997, the first Japan-SPF (South Pacific Forum, renamed PIF in 2000) was held in Japan to strengthen the relationship between Japan and the SPF members and cooperate toward the development of the Pacific Region. So far, the Summit Meetings were held three times in 1997, 2000 and 2003 in Japan.

At the last Meeting (PALM 2003), the “Okinawa Initiative” was adopted as an outcome of the meeting. The Initiative focuses on five major areas; Security, Environment, Education, Health and Economic Growth. It was formulated on the basis of Japan’s partnership and PIF members’ ownership, and included the Joint Action Plan, which aimed for a concerted regional effort to tackle common challenges in the Pacific.

At the forthcoming Summit Meeting, the leaders are expected to discuss on the progress of the “Okinawa Initiative,” the Pacific Plan, and arrangements for priority issues to be tackled in achieving peace and prosperity in the Pacific Region.

Coinciding with the PALM 2006, the Ministry of the Environment and the Cabinet Office of Japan have invited teenagers from the Pacific islands region, which are actively involved in environment conservation activities such as global warming issues, to attend “Pacific Islands Youth Environmental Summit” which will be held from May 26 to 28 in Okinawa. The objectives of this Summit are to deepen mutual understanding between Japan and people of the Pacific islands region, important neighbors sharing the Pacific Ocean with Japan, to enhance friendly relation in the region, and to further invigorate the environmental conservation activities based on “UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development” in the Asia Pacific region.

Participants for the “Pacific Islands Youth Environmental Summit” were selected from every PIF member country and region who is attending the PALM 2006 together with 30 teenagers from the hosting prefecture of Okinawa. They will present the condition of the environmental issues of their respective countries and regions and exchange opinions on how to solve and tackle the problems they encounter. They will also raise awareness on global environmental issues and try to invigorate environmental conservation activities in the Pacific islands region.